Daily Devotional

November 2

Thine Is My Heart: Devotional Readings from the Writings of John Calvin

by John Calvin (compiled by John H. Kromminga)

Bible Text:

For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful; unholy. —II Timothy 3:2

Devotional:

If any wrong be done us, if we sustain but the loss of a penny, we can quickly say, "What wickedness there is nowadays!" But if we have what we would desire, and no man trouble us, no man grieve us, we think all is well.

But though the honor of God be trodden under foot, all honesty completely banished, and men become as brute beasts, it is all the same to us, as long as we sustain no hurt nor damage.

And yet if we are God's children, we must needs taste what he has showed us here by his Spirit, that though all things go as we desire, with respect to the goods of this world, we must not cease for all that to sigh and be grieved unless God be served and there be good order and sin be kept in check as it ought to be.

If this be so, every man will do his duty. For they that are in office will not think they have done their duty when they have maintained some balance among men, so that none can complain, but they will look further. They will see that faithfulness, upright dealing, and especially religion and such virtues as are requisite for honest life shall flourish and be maintained.

Moreover the ministers of the Word of God must not be satisfied if men do not make open trouble, unless men also live honestly, and God be honored, and matters be in good state, or at least they labor to make them so. Yes, and they that have no public charge must look to themselves.

When a man shall see his children evil nurtured and his servants acting lewdly, he cannot be at rest; though it do him no hurt, yet it grieves him, and torments him when he sees that his house does not serve God. They that have taken pains to rule their household well, when they go out into the streets, if they see any villainies and disorders, they fall to sobbing and sighing. —Sermons

John Calvin was the premier theologian of the Reformation, but also a pious and godly Christian pastor who endeavored throughout his life to point men and women to Christ. We are grateful to Reformation Heritage Books for permission to use John Calvin's Thine Is My Heart as our daily devotional for 2013 on the OPC Web site. You can currently obtain a printed copy of that book from Reformation Heritage Books.

Dr. Joel Beeke, who is editorial director of Reformation Heritage Books, has this to say:

"Calvin shows us the piety of a Reformed theologian who speaks from the heart. Having tasted the goodness and grace of God in Jesus Christ, he pursued piety by seeking to know and do God’s will every day. He communed with Christ, practicing repentance, self-denial, and cross-bearing. Moreover, his theology worked itself out in heart-felt, Christ-honoring piety. The selections of this devotional bear this out, and hopefully will be used by God to direct pious hearts in our own day."

These devotional readings from John Calvin were compiled by John H. Kromminga. Be sure to read his "Introduction" to John Calvin's Thine Is My Heart.